Exilus

After leaving the goblin cave with a new companion, new information, extra supplies, and fresh goblin blood on their armor, the adventures headed for Phandalin to deliver the supplies as per the contract, and to try to find the owners of the new blue lion head supplies from the cave. Of course they stopped at an in first to rest their battle torn muscles, after tastings the strongest ale Phandlin has to offer, where it was learned that not all Dragonborn can hold their drinks. In the morning the adventures had some chat with the innkeeper and learned the town was being harassed by gang of bandits known as the Redbrands. Some quick thinking and deceitful talking by Nergal convinced the innkeeper to divulge information, even though he feared for his life. “Uh it’s ok we’re with the town guard…” The innkeeper, a human male named Toblen Stonhill,1 divulged the hideout of the Redbrands, and then the adventurers were off again after receiving payment from Sildar Hallwinter for the escort, this time to make the town safe, or to chop off more heads

After dispatching a few goblins sentries outside of the Cragmaw Hideout the party entered the cave and found a kennel with two ferocious wolves that Coquina was able to soothe making it where the wolves would not alert the goblins to the party’s presence. Covered in a pile of rags in the corner was the unconcious dwarven cleric Olsen Mountainhair who was very thankful for the party reviving him. He was anxious to give the goblins a what-for as revenge for capturing him and agreed to acomompany the party as his form of thanks.

Subverting the goblin’s defenses the dragonborn fighter found a natural chimney in the stonework which he climbed effortlessly and helped his party stage an ambush. The bugbear leader of the goblins in this hideout, Klarg, and his wolf were no match for the ferociousness of the dragonborns’ breath or his underling’s shortsword for that matter. Close to death his subordinate swung wildly during the fight and accidentally delt a death blow to Klarg. The goblin cheered “GORLOCK IS CHIEFTENNOW” and his command was shortly lived as the fighter decapitated the goblin after he surrendendered. The party found some supplies with a blue lion’s head as a crest and decided to return them to their rightful owner in hopes of a reward.

The party continued delving into the cave catching many a goblin from behind and dispatching them quickly. They finally entered the goblin den and saw the captured Sildar Hallwinter, the bodyguard of Gundren Rockseeker, unconcious. The party, namely the dragonborns’ breath, dispatched the goblins and attempted to parley with the goblin squad leader. This proved futile and his blood was spilled but not before Sildar Hallwinter was pushed from the ledge and to the floor below almost killing him. Olsen Rockseeker rushed to his aid and was able to revive the retired solider. Hallwinter requested escort to Phandilin for 50g and with that the party had wiped out this rotten cave of goblins and headed to town with their supplies but still unsure of where Gundren Rockseeker might be.

Standing around a cart is a group of unlikely heroes. A half-orc bard with terrible poetry, a mountain dwarf ranger far from home, an orphaned dragonborn sorcerer with strong dragon’s blood in his veins, a dragonborn fighter with ties to piracy, and a tiefling who seems touched by infernal influences. All five were hired by Gundren Rockseeker to escort his supplies to Barthen’s Provisions in a small town of Phandlin for 10g each. As aspiring adventurers, they couldn’t ask for an easier job at that pay.

Gundren and his sell-sword bodyguard, Sildar Hallwinter, set out a day’s ride ahead of the party due to buisness matters. They headed south half a day’s ride then east along the Triboar Trial towards Phandilin. The party followed the next day and found two horse corpses riddled with goblin arrows. Upon investigation by the bard, Krusk, the party realized the horses belonged to their employer and his companion. Just as Krusk was done with his investigation goblin arrows shot from the densely wooded trees. The party slayed four goblins who thought they could ambush people along the Triboar Trail but they were poorly mistaken. Krusk sustained heavy damage from a goblin shortsword and bow but with his half-orc relentlessness was able to power through the pain.

Shortly after the skirmish the dwarven ranger (sex/gender unknown), an expert in hunting goblinoid creatures, found a path leading into the forest where it seems many goblins had traversed. It led to a mouth of the cave which was most likely where the goblins had been using as a base to stage their operation.

The simple quest of escorting supplies for some easy pay no longer seemed so simple.